Spray boom hinge



July 8, 1952 A. H. PINKE 2,602,684

SPRAY BOOM HINGE Filed Sept. 21, 1949 BY 1 CzzggusiflPinie,

Patented July 8, 1952 256023681 smarrnoon'mnon August Hi Pinko; Hastings, Minnl, assi'gnon to- Di HudsonsManufacturing Company; cagili. 1112,. a corporation of Minnesota. Applicatibn September 21,jrs4 a.,seriarn 116,327

" The present: invention relates. toga novel hinge rigid. boom: section in; suclf'r. manner: thatithe end.

section may bequickly" adjusted toand held in ahorizontal position oratanyangle above or below horizontal; to permit spraying" on sloping roadsides or spraying-rows of shrubbery; hedges, small trees, going through gates, etc;

Among: the? objects of the present inventionis the: provision ofa novel hinge arrangementfor a sectional spray boom in: which the boom provides the: rigidity" necessary to maintain; the proper spray pattern, yet" is. sufiiciently flexible to prevent breakingor" damage when the end boonr section or sections strike. an obstruction.

The present inventionfurthercomprehends the provision of a novelhinge assembly pivotallyconnecting a fixed and a swingable boom section in suchmanner that: the latter? may be quickly ad just'ed to. any angular position and in which: adjjusted. position it is: held from whlpping'forward or backward.

A further object" of the. present invention: is the provision in a; boom assembly of: ahinge adjustably and pivotall'y" mounting: an and, boom section in such manner that should such sectionaocidentally strike a post, stump rock or other solid or stationary" object; such section is permitted' movement about a vertical axis suflicient for this section to clear the object without damageto the boom assembly, and when the object'is cleared; the end boom section is automatically returned to its initial-lyadjusted position.

A Still. furtherobject of the present invention is the provision of a novel. boom and hinge as semhlyincluding'a fixed and an adjustable boom section suspended from a boom chain inadjusted, operative position and with the adjustable boom section hingedly and tensionally' connected to-the fixed boom section inv such manner that when the adjustable boom section is swung backward through an angle of approximately 90 the hinge assembly automatically turns this adjustable boom section over at a right angle to its normal operativepositionso as to expose and locate the spray nozzlesthereon for ready and most efiiective assembly, disassembly, inspection or servicing of these nozzles and; associated mechanism. This greatly facilitatessuch assembly or disassembl'y and eliminates the necessity ofbending or stooping to" secure access to these nozzles or their connections.

Further objects are to provide a. construction of maximum simplicity; eiiiciency; economy: and ease of. assembly and. operation, and. such. further objects, advantages. and. capabilities as will. later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby;

of. a chain. 5''.

The: invention. further residesin. the colfithtlorcombination and: arrangement ofill;- l'ustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is" shown therein a. prefened. embodiment; it is to. be understood that the. "same is susceptible of modification and? change: and comprehends other details; arrangements of features and constructions withoutdeparting from the'spirit'of the invention; v

In the drawings:

Figure l is a View iniront-elevation.ofasprayer equipped. withv the novel. boom. construction and hinge assembly and with one; end boom; section elevated and? the other in horizontal. operative position for fieldspraying.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view mrront elevation of the. novel hinge assembly for-"pivotall'y and yieldably' connectingi an endboom sectionto the center section of." the boom, a portion of the. angle arm. of." the end boom section. being broken. away to show the manner 01'; protecting the; pipe ortu'bing'i;

3: isa top" plan view-of Fig; 2:

v Fig, 4 is: a; fragmentary top lanviewnke hi'ggs, but showing" the end boom section movedirearwardly-and' at an angle with respect totheic'enitral boom section.

Fig; is a fragmentary view' in fronttelevation showing the end" boom section elevated by being turned or rotated about: the pivotpin flirou'gli an angle of approximately from the position shown i'nFi'g. 4.

Referringmore particularly to. the disclosure in the drawing in which there is shown an illustrative embodiment of a novel. hinged boom. assembly for a. power sprayer for; effectively spraying; an. insecticide; fungicide; disinfectant; weed killeror other soluble solution in. a uniform amount? and in a uniform pai'itern.v "The boom assembly may be mounted at the. front of a vehicle orat the rear of'a power'sprayerandi coin.- pri'se's' a. center boomv section I" and elongated end or" boom sections 2? and. 3; there being; one shown at. each side of. the center section and, each. boom section consisting of a spray tubev or pipjefl. dis.-

posed within and beneath. at protecting angle bar 5 suspended at suitable height by the outer end Each spray tube or pipe is held anc'horr-xtv in its. angle. iron by suitable. clamps or clamping brackets. T and provided at spaced. iii.-

'tervals with dependingspray nozzles. 8.. Afiexible supply tube flil'eadihg from a receptacle. ll ofthepower sprayer and containing the spray solution discharges into a fitting l2 for distributingi'the solution to the. spray tube or pipev of. the central boom section I and through the flexible tubes/[3 .to the. spray tubes or. pipes 4 in the endtboom sections 2; and 3;. The: center section I- terminates. at. each end in a clevis-like' head" consisting of" two clevises I' l emu an upward y and a downwardly projecting ear or lug 19 to which the inner ends of anupperh and a lower coil spring 2| and 22 are connected. These springs have their outer-ends connected to pins or hooks 23 projecting upwardly and downwardly from the angle bar 5. At its inner end this bar 5 is provided with a cross-head 24 comprising an upper plate 25 and a lower plate 25 welded or otherwise rigidly connected tothe bar 5 and maintained in spaced relation. Adjacent the opposite ends of this cross-head 24 are-provided transversely extending pins 21 spaced apart such manner as to seat in the slots I8 when the end boom section 3 is in longitudinal align- .ment with the stationary or fixed section I.

It will be apparent from the disclosure of this hinge mounting that either end boom section 2 for 3 may beraised and lowered by tilting it about 'the pivot pin it, and also that either end section may be swung laterally, forwardly or backwardly from its normaloperative. position, in which case 'One end or. th'eother of the cross or boom head 24 consisting of the plates 25 and 26, moves away from the plate I! with the springs 2| and 22 serving to return the end boom section to its normal Or longitudinally aligned position with the fixed section I.

It will be observed that the springs 2! and 22 constitute the sole means forholding the boom section head 24 in cooperative relation with the vstationary head or plate l1, andpermit the end boom section to give sufficiently should it strike a post, stump, tree, rock or other substantially rigid object and thus to clear such object. When the object is cleared, the springs 2| and 22 retract the end boom section into correct operative position.

When in normal operative position, the pins 21 linf the slots is prevent a lateral displacement .of the boom head, and the springs prevent sepalrationo'f the heads. Tilting movement, however, in either direction is permitted when pressure ,exerted. laterally upon the boom withdraws one of the pins 21 from its slot l 8, while the other pin in its respective slot serve as the offset hinge piyotabout which the boom swings.

Should such tilting or lateral movement continue to a position where the end boom section is swung rearwardly approximately 90 as shown in Fig. 4, this section is then automatically turned over or pivoted about the hinge pin l6 (see Fig. 5) and elevatedthrough an angle of approximately 90, and in this position fully exposes the spray .pipe or tube 4 for inspecting, changing or servicing the. tube or spray nozzles without bending or stooping to secure access thereto. This turning up or elevating of either end boom section when swung back through an angle of approximately 90 from its normal operative position (Fig/Bids due to the oiT-set of the hinge (Fig. 4) "andjthe connection of the outer end of the supporting boom chain 6 to its end boom section.

'1 Having thus disclosed the'invention, I claim:

1. In a spray boom having a fixed boom section and one or more end boom sectionsfeach containing a spray tube and nozzles for receiving and dispensing a spray solution, a hinge assembly for pivotally connecting the fixed and end .b oom sections to permit the latter to be held at anyiangle with respect to the vertical and comprising a pair of pivotally connected members mounted on the end of the fixed section, a plate secured to one of said: members and having a slot adjacent its oppositeends, a boom head comprising spaced plate members secured to the end boom section and adapted to receive said plate therebetween and provided with a pin disposed between these spaced members adjacent each end thereof adapted to be received in a slot in said plate whereby when the boom sections are in longitudinal l alignment said plate is disposed within the boom head and the end boom section may be swung laterally from such position of alignment and pivot about one of the pins, and tension means for returning the end boom section from such lateral position to its normal position aligned longitudinallywith thefi'xedboom section. h f

2. In a spray boomhaving a fixed boom section and one ormore endboom' sections each containing a spray-tube and nozzles for receiving and dispensing a spray solution, a hinge assembly for pivotally connecting the fixed and end boom sections to permit the latter to be held at any angle with respect to the vertical and to be swung laterally from the fixed boom section, said'hinge assembly comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected members mounted on the end of the fixed section, a plate secured to one of said members and having a slot adjacent its opposite ends, a boom head comprising spaced plate members secured to the end boom section adapted to receive said plate therebetween anda pin disposed between these spaced members adjacent each end thereof adapted to be received in a slot in said plate whereby when the boom sections are in longitudinal alignment said plate is disposed within the boom head-and the end boom section is free to pivot vertically, and when in this position the end boom section may be swung laterally from such aligned position with the fixed boom section,

and tension springs connecting the end boom section to the plate for returning the end boom section to its normal position aligned longitudinally with the fixed boom section.

3. In a spray boom having a fixed boom section and an end boom section, hinge mean'slfor pivotally connecting the end section to thefixed section for swinging the end section about a horizontal as well as a vertical axis to permit the end boom sectionto pivot and be held in any desired angle with respect to the vertical and also to pivot laterally when striking anobject, said, hinge means comprising a clevis head having a part secured to the ixed section and a .part pivotally connected to the part secured. to the fixed section and connected; to the end section to permit the latterto pivot and be held at any desired angle with the vertical,- a plate secured to the pivotal-part, a'boom head secured to the end section and adapted to receive the plate, a pivotal conn ction between the plate and head to permit the end section to swing laterally with respect to the fixed section and plate from its normal position in which the sections are in longitudinal alignment, and tension means connecting the end section to the plate for returning :the end section to its normalposition after it has swung laterally.

4. A spray boom hinge assembly for pivotally 5 tion, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of theappended claim, rather than by any details of the illustrative showin and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention- A feed spreader comprising a hopper wheelsupported for translation and including an im perforate bottom member, a discharge aperture centrally of and intersecting the hopper front wall transverse to the direction of translation with the aperture lower margin spaced upwardly from said bottom member, an inclined floor in said hopper cooperating with the aperture lower margin for the direction of hopper contents to and through the aperture and cooperating with said bottom member to define a collecting chamber therebetween at the lower end of the hopper, an access door opening to said collecting chamber through the hopper rear wall, a perforated section in said floor for the diversion of hopper contents fines therethrough and to said collecting chamber, a reciprocable gate spring urged into closing relation with said aperture, means for manually shifting said gate against the pressure of its spring and into various uncovering relations with said aperture for the regulation 01 hopper contents discharge therethrough, a housing juxtaposed and closing against the front wall of said hopper about and 6 in covering relation with said aperture and having a discharge opening at one side thereof through which material may be ejected transversely of the direction of hopper travel and a horizontal floor on the level with the lower margin of said aperture, and an impeller power-rotatable in said housing about an axis paralleling the direction of assembly translation and across said aperture for the ejection of hopper contents discharge through the housing side opening and laterally of the assembly.

5 WILLIAM BURKART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

